Stronger
by Syanra
Summary: My version on what happened in the Malfoy Manor, set 10 years later. Hermione cries to her husband about it on the anniversary of it happening.


_Stronger_

Her heartbeat sped up as she looked at the date on the calendar as sipped her morning tea. Tears began to swell her eyes as she pulled her sleeve back over her scar - the scar that Bellatrix Lestrange had carved into her delicate skin. She remembered her own, sickening screams. She remembered crying at Shell Cottage, when, rather than Dobby, her boyfriend at the time, Ronald Weasley, had lost his life protecting her and everyone else who had escaped with them.

Her vision blurred even more and she nearly dropped her tea cup. That crisp March night would never be eradicated from her memory.

* * *

_"Wait," Bellatrix Lestrange said as they were about to be escorted down into the cellar, "all except," her eyes scanned them and rested on Hermione, "except for the Mudblood._

_Hermione made a whimpering sound._

_"No!" Ron screamed, desperate to keep Hermione safe at any consequence. "You can have me, keep me!"_

_Bellatrix smirked to herself, thinking that his loyalty to Hermione would get him no where. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she told him rather calmly. "Blood traitor," she spat at him as she said it, "is next to Mudblood in my book." That is one book I'd prefer not to read, Hermione thought. "Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them - yet."_

* * *

Ron hadn't known what had happened. He only knew half of it before he was killed. Hermione figured after all the times she had talked to Draco about it, he'd heard about it. In the afterlife.

* * *

_"I-I had wanted Ron to be my first," she told Draco the one of the times she had met up with him privately after the war. That March night, she could tell he wanted to pull his father away from her after she had refused to answer questions about the sword. He was just too weak to, and his aunt would've killed everyone except Potter that night if he had._

_"I know, Hermione," he told her as he pulled her close to himself. "I'm sure that if he survived that stab, that he would've understood...and he would've killed my father without question. I hate saying this, but I'm glad he's back in jail. I can't forgive him. I don't understand why someone would do such a thing."_

_"Is it bad if I hope he dies?"_

_"No. It's understandable. Completely."_

_"Th-thank you for always being here for me, Draco."_

_"Of course. Whenever you or Athena need me, I'll be right here."_

_Hermione nodded, picking up Draco's half-sister._

* * *

"Mummy?" The nine year old girl asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, Athena, I'm fine. I-I just don't think I'm going to be able to make it to work today. Can you tell your father that?" Gray eyes met brown and Athena nodded. After so much suffering, Athena and Draco were the only good things that had come into Hermione's life.

* * *

_"I'm pregnant, Draco," Hermione told him shakily. Draco knew, without a doubt, the answer to her child's paternity._

_"How about I help you, Hermione? To make up for not helping you that night."_

_"We all would've died if you had…"_

_"That doesn't mean I don't feel horrible, Hermione."_

_"Draco - I would love and greatly appreciate your help. As much as I hate what happened to me, I already love my baby. I don't want to lose it."_

_Draco leaned on the rails of his apartment. "Have any names?"_

_"Ronald," she said instantly, "if it's a boy."_

_"And if it's a girl?"_

_"I don't know."_

* * *

"Hermione?" Draco asked her concern filling his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Hermione answered, stronger now. She knew what she had to do. She knew how to make herself stronger.

* * *

_"Hermione…," Ron struggled to breathe. "I..love you."_

_"N-no! You can't die, Ron," Hermione begged._

_"Stay strong...help Harry. Do not make….my death in vain._

_"O-of course not. I-I love you."_

_The last thing Ron knew before he died; the love of his life was kissing him, sobbing._

* * *

"Are you sure this is the only thing to make you strong again?" Draco asked, rather uneasy at Hermione's plan.

"I need to do this, Draco. You know me better now - we've been married for nearly seven years."

"Since June fourteenth," Draco said, to prove he knew the anniversary.

"Good thing you know. Or else I'd never let you see your fir - er, - second child."

Draco just nodded, resting his hands gently on Hermione's stomach. "Six more months, right?"

"Right. I'll see you tonight. C'mon, Athena. There's someone I want you to meet."

* * *

_I smile even though I don't want to. I smile for you, Ron. I love you and miss you. I'll join you someday._

* * *

Lucius grumbled as light filled his usually dark cell in Azkaban. "Who the hell dares to bother me?!" He demanded, his voice gruff.

"I dare," Hermione spoke, bravely. "I need you to meet something. Do you remember that day you ruined my life?"

Lucius smirked. "Has the little slu-"

"Do not curse in front of my child," Hermione growled.

"You brought a child to Azkaban."

"Not just any child. Draco's half-sister. Your child."

"What?!" Lucius growled and Athena exclaimed at the same time.

"Athena, Dear, this is your biological father. He's here after doing bad things. I just felt that you needed to meet him and know that you should never strive to be like him."

Athena wrinkled her nose. "He smells. I prefer Daddy anyways. Daddy doesn't make stinkies this bad!"

"Good, Athena."

"Athena is a horrible name."

"Her full name is Athena Narcissa Malfoy-Granger."

"You named her after my wife and dared to give her my last name?!"

"It only seems fit, seeing that I am married to your son."

"You're only a filthy Mudblood! Why would Draco ruin what my family has fought so hard to preserve?!"

"Because times have changed, Lucius."

"Just like in Legend of Korra! The Dark Avatar!"

"Quit speaking nonsense! Kill the girl!"

Athena's gray eyes widened and she hid behind her mother.

"I'm not going to. She's going to be the proof that you're a pig and your 'Pure line' stops. Besides, she's my baby. Let's go home, Athena."

* * *

"How'd it go?" Draco asked, standing. He rushed to Hermione and Athena.

"It went well. He says she's delightful."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "You're lying."

"I know." Hermione smiled, but it was mostly because the weight of Lucius was off her shoulders.

* * *

_**Anybody else finish season two of Legend of Korra (if not, go on google, search Legend of Korra episodes. Find AnimeFlavor. It's free!) ? Oh my God it was amazing! No spoilers though!**_

_**Please review, this is a one-shot.**_


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